Unforgettable
by syaoran no hime
Summary: Tohru loses her memory due to an accident and suddenly finds herself with a beautiful but cold man who claims to be her husband. Without her memory, she must believe him. That he will take care of her...protect her. Love, though, is too much to ask of him
1. Default Chapter

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I decided to postpone For Keeps again two more times to give way to some sudden brainstorms…and they are NOT Yukiru. *Gasps from the audience* 

One is Uo-Kyo project…the other one is this.

The rating in this fic would depend whether I would like to still write the lemon scene I have in mind, and in this case, this is my first time to write a lemon.

On with the story!

****

__

A girl screamed and instantly buried her head on the chest of the boy beside her. Everyone else in the runaway bus were screaming, uttering prayers, crying…

"I don't want to die yet!" screamed one elder man before jumping off the bus that suddenly lost its brakes.

She watched in horror as the old man landed on the road, rolling on the asphalt. She didn't know anymore what became of the passenger because her attention was caught by the loud screeching of useless brakes, the honks of the ten-wheeler ahead of them, and the unison cries of horror of the passengers.

Then she felt herself lurched forward violently as sound of glasses shattered and anguished cries in great pain filled the whole bus.

"Honda Tohru-kun," prompted a cold, male voice.

Tohru opened her eyes weakly, and found herself looking at an unfamiliar face. His one eye partially covered with his forbidding bangs, the other disinterestedly looking at her. His perfectly-sculptured nose that matched the authoritarian features of his face – from the creased forehead to the strong jaw.

He was very tall and broad-shouldered, as evident by the way his long white coat hugged his body.

But who was he?

"Honda Tohru-kun," he said again.

Honda Tohru? Who was Honda Tohru? Was he talking to her?

"I don't…remember," she heard herself saying feebly.

"I see." He got up and reached for the glass of water on the nearby table. "This will help."

She reached for the glass of water with trembling hands, but she felt that even her fingers lacked strength. The glass slipped down from her grip helplessly and broke into tiny little pieces.

The sound triggered something in her. Suddenly, she hugged her head and shut her eyes, trying to make the aching in her temples go away. She screamed involuntarily, but even with her eyes shut, she could see that even darkness was crimson red. The color of blood.

A firm hand patted her shoulder. "That will be enough," ordered the same male voice authoritatively.

She was still not pacified, but then, she felt him grip her wrist tightly. Something painful jolted through her nerves, and she opened her eyes.

The man had injected something in her. Alarm bells rung again in her mind. _What did he do to me?_

He read her mind. "Tranquilizer. It will calm you down."

True to his words, panic began to dissolve within her.

"My name is Sohma Hatori," he began to speak again as he swept the broken pieces of glass on the floor. "I am a doctor, so you should not be scared of me." He glanced at her. "Do you remember me?"

She gulped inwardly. A faraway memory – but she couldn't reach it.

"I take that as a no." He placed the litter on the trash can. "I will refresh your memory. I am your husband."

"H-Husband?" The word struck deep within her. She recognized that word – it was a binding word. But it sounded so out of place. Within her was a part disagreeing with the so-called truth of the doctor.

__

But I have no choice. He is the only one who remembers me. He must know everything about me.

She reached for her forehead and felt bandages. She looked at the doctor inquiringly. 

"You met an accident," he said simply.

"A-Accident…" she echoed. Turmoil of emotions filled her once again.

"You don't have to remember," he said, suddenly beside her. He offered her another glass of water, but he didn't let her hold the glass. He assisted her in drinking. "At least, not yet."

When she felt the sweet liquid trickle down her parched throat, she felt much calmer.

"I will cook us some dinner in an hour. For the meantime, you must go to sleep. Take your rest," he said.

"W-Why should I take my rest? Where have I been?" she asked.

He chose not to reply anymore.

"T-Tell me!" she yelled frantically. 

"Nowhere," he said calmly.

She felt disagreement again. _The shattered glass? The crimson blood?_

"Nowhere," he repeated more firmly.

She had no choice but to believe.

Hatori glanced at the sleeping girl beside her, then turned back to the newspaper he was reading. His eyes were focused on the front page news. About the collision of a ten-wheeler truck and a passenger bus in the highway.

He looked at the list of the fatalities, then checked the rest of the news if there was something mentioned about a missing passenger. None was mentioned. He sighed, relieved.

He folded the broad sheet and placed it under the cabinet, covered by bandages and other medicine items.

Tohru woke up again, this time because of the dreamy aroma of food. She felt her stomach ache. She felt that she had not eaten yet for days.

The man was beside her again, but this time, his white doctor coat was no more. On its place was a homely light blue apron. His long white sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His face was less formal, but the aura of authority still surrounds him.

She looked at the tray he was holding. A bowl of chicken soup, a glass of orange juice, and some pills.

"Soft food only," he said, almost apologetic. "Perhaps in a few more days, you can go back to your regular menu."

He looked less intimidating, and she felt that she had to smile. "Thank you."

He paused, then the defensive look returned in his eyes. "It's my duty. As your husband."

That word again.

He sat down beside her and began to feed her. He blew lightly on the soup before spooning it to her.

She accepted each spoon mechanically, because she was too busy thinking. Thinking about the shattered glasses, the blood, the screams. 

Her eyes went on the man before her. Her husband.

"What is it?" he asked.

"N-Nothing." Her eyes went down on the soup.

She wanted to know the answers, and it seems that only this man holds all of them.

But she couldn't help but feel that he was keeping a part of the truth from her.

__

I must know.

****

tsuzuku 


	2. 2

Wow, I haven't updated yet on the Vampires ficcie! ^^;; Ah well, there's always a tomorrow…  
  
I forgot to dedicate this fic to Mona-chan. I have long delayed on the Yukiru Moulin Rouge, so at least, this would make up for it, right?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Tohru-kun is still missing," said Ayame to Hatori over the phone a few days after. "I swear I heard that she was going with Yuki to the amusement park."  
  
The doctor made a sound, telling his cousin that he couldn't care less if the girl was abducted by aliens.  
  
"Are you sure you don't know where she may be?" asked Ayame again, evidently rattled. The news of his younger brother's death in the accident had already devastated him, and now, the disappearance of Tohru!   
  
"I don't," said the doctor curtly.  
  
"I see." Another sigh. "I'm sorry for bothering you. Kisa told me that Tohru might have followed him-"  
  
Hatori felt his least favorite emotion piercing his heart – guilt. But he maintained his blank tone. "Is that all?"  
  
He could hear his cousin sigh. "Yes. Thank you for your time."  
  
As soon as Hatori heard the busy tone, he replaced the receiver back then turned to his bathroom, where Tohru was washing her face. He turned back to his paper work, but he couldn't understand the statements. He was preoccupied by guilt.  
  
"Damn it," muttered the doctor.  
  
He heard the door open, and out came Tohru, fresh from the shower, wearing a blue bathrobe – his bathrobe. "Hatori-sensei?"  
  
He didn't reply. He was still thinking.  
  
She drew towards him and peeked at him from behind. "Hatori-sensei?"  
  
He jumped when the fresh soapy scent reached his nostrils. It had been years since he was this close to a woman. He turned to her, forehead creased. "What is it?"  
  
She looked at the bathroom. "T-The shower…it suddenly stopped." She looked down. "I-I cannot finish my bath…"  
  
He noticed the soap suds on her flawless porcelain skin, on her slender neck, on the flesh peeping out from his robe…  
  
His eyes averted hers. Cursing, he marched towards the shower and examined it.  
  
Tohru followed him inside. "What went wrong, Hatori-sensei?"  
  
The bathroom was built for one person only, so he could feel her moist skin next to him. But he ignored it. He looked up at the shower head and knocked on it repeatedly. "Damn Shigure."  
  
Tohru blinked. "S-Shigure?" she echoed.  
  
He continued on fixing the shower. "He didn't want to give me back the loan I gave him, so when I needed the money to have the shower fixed, he volunteered to do the plumber job himself."  
  
"S-Shigure…" she echoed, the name familiar-sounding.  
  
He kicked himself mentally. How did that name slip so easily from him? He vowed to be more careful, especially when Tohru was displaying a remarkable recovery of some of her memories. About her deceased mother and about household chores.  
  
What would she remember next? he wondered as he turned the shower on full blast.  
  
Suddenly, water sprouted from the shower, drenching Hatori who was directly under it. Colorful profanities echoed in the tiled walls of the bathroom as Tohru's eyes widened, then crinkled into a delighted smile. She turned the shower off as Hatori jumped out of the bathroom, sputtering.  
  
She followed him outside, holding a towel. "I think the shower's fixed again."  
  
"I think so too," he muttered as he accepted the towel.  
  
Tohru, on the other hand, gazed at the man before her, fascinated by how he suddenly looked years younger, his hair down and his face crunched up in exasperation.  
  
Blush crawled up to her cheeks when her gaze went to the muscles shown by the wet shirt clinging to his body.  
  
Hatori noticed her steady gaze and checked himself silently. More colorful curses ensued as he hurried into his room to change.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soon, Hatori was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Behind him, he heard a throat being cleared.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, busying himself with seasoning the dish.  
  
Tohru walked towards him and peered at his dish – frozen fish fillet.   
  
"Tired of frozen foods already, huh?" asked the doctor wryly.  
  
She shook her head. "N-No." She looked down the floor. "I-I came here to ask…if I can do the cooking from now on."  
  
He gave her the briefest of glances. "You still need to rest."  
  
"I'm fine," she assured him. She took another spatula and took the apron off him. "I'm growing bored of lying down the bed."  
  
He gave way. He watched as she slipped the apron on and tied it around her tiny waist.   
  
"Hatori-sensei?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"It's funny, but I think I do remember myself cooking before," she said, a small smile on her face.  
  
"That's good," said the doctor cautiously.  
  
"But I have a question…"  
  
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't like you asking too many questions."  
  
"It's only one," she insisted.  
  
He groaned, but Tohru didn't know whether it was one of saying yes or saying no. She continued her question anyway. "Would you get mad at me if I don't remember me loving you before?"  
  
"Huh?" His eyes looked momentarily confused.  
  
"It's funny, but you see, I feel so awkward around you," she began shyly. "And I'm suppose to be your wife."  
  
He fell silent. You can take away Honda Tohru's memories, but never her perceptiveness.  
  
"Will you tell me how we met?" she asked. "Was it love at first sight?"  
  
His fists clenched.  
  
"And how did we get married? Who were our visitors?" continued Tohru innocently as she placed the fried fillets on the plate. "When did we get married-"  
  
"You talk too much," he hissed.  
  
Her mouth clamped. "I-I'm sorry." She served the platter on the table quietly.  
  
He couldn't help but glance at her. He felt something gnaw his heart when he saw the hurt look in her eyes.  
  
He stood up and placed his hand on her shoulders. "Let's take away that awkwardness, shall we?"   
  
Her eyes widened when he suddenly leaned down towards her face and covered her mouth with his passionately.  
  
Tohru wanted to resist first, but in the end, she felt her energy getting absorbed by him and his kiss. The next thing she knew was she was responding fiercely to his kiss, although she didn't know first how to. It was like discovering life for the first time. It felt strangely fantastic!  
  
His mouth left hers, and they were both panting. His eyes were as shocked as hers.  
  
Hatori abruptly let go of her. He sat down and began to eat quietly.   
  
Tohru's knees were buckling as she took a seat next to him.  
  
For a moment, none of them dared to talk.  
  
"Funny," began Tohru slowly, eyes not meeting her husband's. "If your kisses are like that, I'm so stupid to forget them."  
  
He paused, taken by surprise with her frankness. An amused smile played at the corner of his lips. "Really?"  
  
She couldn't look at him. "Y-Yes."  
  
He gazed at her, and despite the curtain of hair covering her face, he could see the lovely blush on her cheeks.  
  
He looked down at the fish fillet, but his appetite was on someone else. He muttered something under his breath before standing up. "I'm going to eat this in the clinic. I still have a lot of things to do."  
  
"Y-Yes!" said the onigiri.  
  
"I will check on your head again after an hour. For the meantime, find yourself something to be busy with." With that, the doctor headed out of the kitchen.  
  
Tohru's trembling hands touched her still moist lips again, then she shut her eyes tight, recalling the delicious feeling of his lips on her. She felt sensuous…  
  
Her eyes flapped open, face burning. She shook her head repeatedly. Sensuous? How could she think that way?  
  
But I am his wife. I should know how his lips feel…but why is it, that it feels so strange and new?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hatori sighed as he looked at the news. None was mentioned anymore about the accident – it was buried underneath the issues of politics and national interests, thankfully.  
  
Now all he had to worry about was if one of his relatives would visit him here.  
  
Unlikely, he reminded himself. They are all busy with Yuki's funeral.  
  
Once again, guilt began to gnaw his heart. Sohma Yuki was dead, and here he was, keeping his fiancée, and even kissed her, for crying out loud!  
  
His fists clenched as he recalled again her soft, kissable lips. Ah, he never expected himself to react like that to her…as if he was a teenager, learning his first kiss.  
  
But I was her first kiss. So Yuki never had the chance to do it.  
  
He kept the broadsheet again. He had enough thinking for today.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"We can remove the bandages tomorrow afternoon," said Hatori as he dressed her head injury again.  
  
Tohru's eyes were on the floor. She wasn't used to his sudden coldness again after what happened in the kitchen.  
  
Hatori noticed her. "What is the problem?"  
  
She shut her eyes as she felt warmth flood her cheeks again. Oh good lord, how she dreaded that question!  
  
He fell silent. He was merely gazing at her, unspeaking. Not contented, he reached out and smoothed her cheek with the back of his palm. "Tohru?"  
  
She opened her eyes when she heard him call her, his voice less harsher than usual. "Hatori-sensei?"  
  
He nodded. "I now know why you feel awkward." A small smile formed on his lips. "You shouldn't call your husband so courteously."  
  
She blinked, not sure whether the smile on his face was real. "B-But how do I call you? I-I can't remember."  
  
The smile blossomed into a full one. "Honey."  
  
She felt her face turn warm. "E-Eh?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
What becomes of winter afterwards?  
  
Water?  
  
Spring.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He drew towards her and kissed her forehead. "Now get a good night sleep." He was about to stand up when she called him.  
  
"Where are you going to sleep?" she wondered.  
  
"I still have lots of things to do in my office," he said. "Goodnight."  
  
"D-Don't tire yourself out too much!" she said before she could think of what she was saying.  
  
"I won't," he promised.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ignoring the clock, Hatori browsed through the files in Shigure's laptop. He was busy checking on the whereabouts of their clan head.  
  
"He was in Osaka a few days ago." Something formed in his mind as he wrote something down his legal pad.  
  
tsuzuku 


	3. 3

Crimson blood flew on Tohru's blouse. She tried to open her mouth to scream, but no voice came out. It was the voice of another person.

She saw the girl beside the boy who looked really, really familiar to her. The striking purple eyes, the ebony hair, the almost feminine features, but still with the masculine aura…

"Yuki!" screamed the girl, burying her head on his chest.

The name echoed mercilessly in her ears.

__

Yuki? What is it in the name that strikes something within me?

But the rest of her thoughts disappeared when she felt herself lurch forward and hit her head on something very hard.

Tohru's eyes flapped open as she jolted up her bed, sweating all over. Her vision blurred – perhaps due to her sudden movement – but she forced herself to reach for the lampshade beside her. She turned it on and looked at the wall clock. It was three in the morning.

She stood up and slipped her robe around her. Hatori still had not got around to buying her some personal things, so she was still borrowing his.

Which she thought was peculiar, since she was sure it was impossible for her not to own at least _one _possession – a toothbrush, a towel, a robe.

She shook her head. She was too exhausted from her dream to think of anything.

"I'm going to fix breakfast," she decided aloud. She walked out of the room –Hatori's bedroom, as evident with the various medical reference books on the shelves – and went to the kitchen. She then noticed at the far corner of the house that a light was already on.

__

Still on, she thought wryly when she saw that Hatori was sleeping, his head resting on a legal pad, the computer on with a screensaver. She turned the computer off and woke her husband up gently. "H-Hatori-sensei?"

She heard him groan, then he was silent again. He had gone back to sleep again. She knelt beside him, just so they would be face to face. She brushed the bangs off his forehead and spoke again. "Hatori-sensei?"

She then noticed the hasty scribbles on the legal pad. Overcame by curiosity, she peered at his work.

Some dates, some places, and one Akito.

__

Akito?

"What are you doing here?" boomed Hatori, shoving her away from his desk.

She gasped. "Hatori-sensei?"

He quickly kept the papers under his locked cabinet. "It's not right to meddle with my private things."

"I-I didn't know it was!" she protested. _What is so significant about the dates and places? And Akito, who is he?_

He faced her, eyes furious. "I don't want to see you touching my things again, do you understand?"

She nodded quickly. "Y-Yes! I'm sorry!" She was shaken by his reaction.

"Good," he said, helping her up. "Now, Mrs.Sohma, give me my breakfast."

"I was just about to cook-" Tohru's words were cut off by when Hatori's hand suddenly encircled her tiny waist and pulled her towards him. He then sealed her lips with his. By then, she had already learned how to respond. She tried to match his fierceness and passion, until finally, their mouths parted.

His eyes softened. "What a great exercise. Now I can start my morning."

"I will be shopping for some things," he said as Tohru served him sausages and rice. "I will be back this afternoon."

"C-Can't I come?" she asked.

He looked down on his food. "No."

"OK."

"As soon as you have fully recovered, we'll go out," he said, eyes still on the food.

"OK," she said, eyes crinkling into a smile. "I'll clean the house then." She raised her hand up when he looked like he was going to protest. "I won't go to your clinic and I will touch none of your things, I promise!"

He sighed. "Alright," he said grudgingly.

"Shut the door, and don't entertain any visitors while I'm not yet home, do you understand?" he instructed as she slipped his coat around his shoulders.

"Yes!" she nodded.

He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead then went on his way.

Tohru was working on the backyard garden of her husband. She noticed that it looked like he wasn't even paying attention on it. She decided to work on the plants, hoping that she could still save them.

"Leeks!" she exclaimed when she saw the plants on the far corner of the garden. She drew towards it and examined it. "I can still save these."

As she transferred the plants into an area with better sunlight, something struck her.

__

"Leeks is not food for human!"

"Eat."

The orange hair.

She touched her suddenly racing heart. She knew him – his name was on the tip of her tongue.

The violet eyes. She knew him too!

She could imagine two people close to her heart, for she could feel her heart ache with longing for them.

"Kyo-kun…" she whispered, recognition dawning in her shaking eyes.

And the other one…

__

Honda-san, do you want to come with me?

To the amusement park.

I'm on my way to meet someone there.

After I meet him, I promise that I'll never transform into a mouse again.

"Excuse me, are you Tori's maid?"

Tohru gasped and stood up suddenly. She turned around, and saw a tall man dressed in gray kimono. He was gaping at her, as if he had seen a ghost.

__

I know his face too. I know him!

"Tohru-kun…?" The man rubbed his eyes. "H-How is this possible?"

__

I know him! I know him!

And he knows me!

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Y-You don't remember me, seriously?" he squeaked.

"Y-Yes."

His face was drawn in concern. "We need to talk."

Tohru knew that entertaining the guest was against her husband's wishes, but she knew that this man could help her gain an idea about her identity.

"Here." Tohru placed a tray of _sashimi_ and some _sake_ on the table.

"Thanks. You're still very sweet and thoughtful," said the stranger wryly as he sipped his drink.

She sat down in front of him and sighed. "Frankly, I don't remember me being sweet and thoughtful. I-In fact, I don't remember much about myself, save for the things that my husband, Hatori told me-"

The stranger spat his drink out. "Y-Your _what_?!?"

"M-My husband, Sohma Hatori." She looked at him curiously. "I thought you know my husband very well?"

"I know him well enough to know that he is not-"

"What are you doing here, Shigure?" boomed a voice from behind.

She and the guest turned to see a very angry Hatori standing in the doorway.

Shigure stood up and looked at his cousin testily. "This is too much, even for a shocker like you, 'Tori."

Hatori turned to the onigiri. "Take the grocery to the kitchen. The clothes and the kits there are yours."

She obediently took the shopping bag from him.

"We'll talk in my clinic," said Hatori to the guest as he marched towards his sanctuary. The man quietly followed him, but not before throwing her a look.

"You don't remember anything?" he asked sympathetically.

She shook her head.

"Poor Yuki," he said before heading out of the living room.

__

Yuki?

The name sounded so familiar, and suddenly, she remembered the boy with the violet eyes. The one on the bus.

__

But what is his connection to me?

Suddenly, Shigure returned in the living room. "Tohru-kun," he said seriously.

"W-What is it?" she asked nervously, bracing herself for more shocking revelations.

He picked up the _sake_ on the table. "I forgot this." He walked past by the sweatdropping onigiri. "We can't waste a good rice wine, can we, eh, Tohru-kun?"

"What is this game you are playing now, 'Tori?" asked Shigure when the two have settled in the clinic already.

"This is not a game," said the doctor, maintaining a blank tone.

"Good thing it was me and not Aya who visited you here. He could have killed you!"

"That is why you're going to help me to keep him from learning this," said the doctor as he lit his cigarette.

"But why are you keeping Tohru-kun here?" the novelist wanted to know.

"I think she's in danger," said Hatori, blowing a perfect circle of smoke. "Someone wants her dead."

Shigure looked at his _sake_ thoughtfully. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Is it related to the files you borrowed from my laptop?"

"Yes."

"Will you elaborate?"

"No."

Shigure sighed. "Alright, I cannot understand why you think Tohru-kun is in danger, and since you won't give me details, I'll shut up, or it will be _me_ who will be in danger."

Hatori nodded. At least his cousin could comprehend what the situation was.

"But can you at least tell me when did you marry Honda Tohru?" asked Shigure, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

"Get out."

"Did you have your honeymoon already?"

"Out."

"How many times do you make love in a night?"

"OUT!!!"

As Hatori walked his cousin towards a nearby bus terminal, he said suddenly, "You sure are taking things lightly. I just abducted the fiancée of one of our cousins who just died."

Shigure smirked. "Nice plot for my new novel." He then looked away. "Yuki is alive."

Hatori's eyes widened.

Tohru allowed the breeze to play with her hair as she paused to rest from her gardening work.

__

I remember…Yuki…I know him.

But why am I Hatori-sensei's wife, if my memory serves me right?

****

tsuzuku


	4. 4

I smell hiatus for Vampires…uh-oh. ^^;; Just kidding. I'm going to find the time to work on that fic one of these days.

_I think._

_For people who want to be informed when the next chapter of my Furuba fics are up, check out Fruit Cocktale and sign up for the mailing list._

"What do you mean Yuki is alive?"  Hatori's eyes were shocked. _It can't be!_

"He is," said Shigure, not blinking. "Well, anyway, I'll see you tomorrow-"

"Wait!" said the doctor. "Tell me what you know!"

The novelist grinned at him. "Tell me what _you know."  When the doctor didn't say anything, the inu waved at his cousin. "Oh well, Sohma Shigure _always_ finds a way. I'll find out, even if that's the last thing I'll do."_

The bus had long been gone, but Hatori was still frozen as a statue.

_What else do Shigure knows?_

_And Yuki…I saw him in the bus. How did he survive the accident?_

Hatori walked home, mind in turmoil. He didn't expect these to happen…what would happen if Tohru finds out about the truth?

He clenched his fists. _I shouldn't have meddled anymore. Now I'm caught in this web of misfortunes too!_

But he just couldn't let something bad happen to her. His conscience would haunt him.

Yes, and his heart too.

He finally arrived home, exhausted. But he felt his spirits lift when he saw Tohru on the front door, waiting for him. 

"Good evening, Hatori-sensei," she greeted quickly as she took his coat. "Dinner is served."

"Thank you," he said quietly as he shut his eyes tight, savoring the warm feeling of knowing that he was really home. When had he last felt this way? He could remember no more.

He opened his eyes and found her looking at him curiously. "What is it?" he asked, not meaning to sound curt.

She shook her head. "N-Nothing." She went back into the kitchen as he followed her silently.

"Shigure-san is your cousin, right?" she began.

He stopped abruptly. "Yes."

"H-He told me about someone…"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"I want to remember…"

He exhaled sharply. "Tohru, do not try my patience."

She sighed. "Very well." She looked at the dining table. "Would you like to eat already?"

He looked at the dish. Leek soup and deep-fried chicken. He loosened his tie. "I'm not hungry," he said curtly. These were Yuki's favorite dishes.

She bit her lip. "Even just a few bites."

"I'm full."

"OK." She began to clear the table.

He began to unbutton his shirt. "Don't take Shigure too seriously."

She turned to him. "But Shigure-san is not-" Her eyes widened as blush filled her cheeks. "Nyaaah!!"

He blinked then looked at himself. He then realized that he had undone his shirt already, and his chest was openly exposed to her. He felt his own face heat up. He had been so used to living alone that he forgot about what he should not do in front of her.

He hurried towards his room, muttering on his stupidity that Shigure could have contaminated him with the few hours that they were together.

_What are you going to do in the amusement park, Yuki-kun?_

_I'm going to meet someone there._

_You seem a little strange today._

_Oh? You think so?_

_Ah, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that._

_Maybe you shouldn't have._

Tohru's eyes flapped open, sweating nervously. Her dream ended in crimson blood again.

She tried to breathe deeply to calm herself.

Yuki…it's him again.

_Who is he?_

Her shoulders shook as a sob escaped her throat.

_I want to remember! I want to remember!_

"Tohru?"

The sudden floods of light snapped her out of it. She quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile. "So sorry…did I wake you up?"

Hatori smiled sardonically. "I wasn't sleeping."

"Oh."

He sat by her bed and peered at her intently. Not satisfied, he tucked the stray strands of her brown hair behind her ears. "That dream again?"

"I-It's no use…I keep on remembering something that I cannot remember…may it be day or night," she whispered. "It's driving me crazy."

She saw pain flicker on his face as he leaned down and kissed her hair. "Ssh. I'm here."

That did it. She threw herself against his chest, sobbing. "Hatori!"

At the same moment, to his utter dismay, he poofed into a seahorse.

Tohru blinked. "H-Hatori?"

She giggled softly when Hatori finished explaining why he suddenly transformed into an animal.

"What?" asked the seahorse, torn between annoyance and despair.

"You're so cute," she said, eyes twinkling.

He looked away, muttering.

"I now remember!" Her eyes lit up. "Yes, I can recall a little more."

He blinked.

"Yuki-kun is a mouse, isn't he?"

A momentary pause before he spoke. "Yes."

Her eyes shook, but she said no more. Instead, she hugged the animal to her chest.

But a minute later, a scream echoed all throughout the house.

When the smoke disappeared, Tohru was burying her flaming face on her hands.

Hatori blinked when he saw their position. He was on top of her, his face just inches from hers. He looked down and nearly fainted, but fortunately he had the presence of mind to instead quickly reach for anything to cover his maleness, which suddenly came to life.

"I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything!" screamed the onigiri.

"I know, I know!" yelled the doctor back, busily looking for his clothes.

"I swear! _It _was _too small for me to really see it!"_

This made his face turn hot. Somehow that didn't comfort him. "Stop screaming!"

He didn't dare think anymore what his neighbors who surely had overheard her screams were thinking of right now.

Shigure opened the door of Akito's room and knelt in front of the young man who was sitting in the corner of the room, face buried on his knees.

"How are you feeling now?" asked the novelist.

No reply.

"I brought you some food." He took out the burgers and drinks.

The young man looked at him through his glassy purple eyes then looked down. "Thank you."

"Are you aware that everyone thinks you're dead?" began Shigure.

"M-Me? Dead?"

The novelist looked grim. "Yes. And Tohru thinks you don't even exist."

For a moment, he couldn't speak. Suddenly, he looked up. "Who is she?"

"Not good," muttered Shigure. He made up his mind to see Hatori again the next day. He had a lot of questions to ask.

But to his dismay, Hatori's house was closed. Even the backyard was closed too.

Shigure sighed. "Where did they go?"

He hated to jump to conclusions, but he couldn't erase the fear that Hatori took Tohru into another place again – somewhere he and his relatives wouldn't find easily.

"Thank you for taking me out, Hatori-sensei!" said Tohru cheerfully as she and her husband went to the shopping mall that afternoon to eat out. 

He groaned. "You don't have to sound so grateful. I do have to take you out sometimes, don't I?"

"Y-Yes, but…" She grinned cheerfully at him. "I have this feeling that this is not your cup of tea, and yet you chose to take me out."

He looked away. "You and your overstatements."

Her eyes lit up when she saw a karaoke machine on the other side of the mall. "Hey, let's sing first, ok?"

"W-What?!" Hatori's eyes widened in horror. "Y-You're kidding!"

"No, I'm not!" she said excitedly, eyes laughing. "Come on, show me the hidden singing talent that you have, Hatori-sensei!"

"I will _not_ sing! I will _not_ sing!"

Minutes later, Hatori was seated in front of the karaoke machine as Tohru was excitedly leafing through the song collections.

"I want this!" Her finger pointed to one title on the left.

Hatori read it. "Unforgettable."

"It's a duet song, right?" asked Tohru. 

"I will _not_ sing, and that's _final_!" he bellowed. _Good God, just don't make her smile, please._

But conspiracies of all conspiracies, she did. Her lovely warm eyes crinkled into her familiar tender smile. "Please?"

Who, in his right mind could defy such smiles?

So he grudgingly took the mike.

The title and initial scenes began to roll.

**Unforgettable **

**(Irving Gordon)**

Tohru grinned at him then began to sing. 

_Unforgettable _

_That's what you are, _

_Unforgettable _

_Tho' near or far._

Hatori was handed the mike.

_Like a song of love that clings to me, _

_How the thought of you does things to me. _

_Never before _

Has someone been more...

He glanced at Tohru, whose eyes were shining as she gazed at him lovingly. He could feel his heart spin. He could have cursed himself for acting like a teenager, but then Tohru nudged him. He sighed, then continued to sing with her.

_Unforgettable _

_In every way, _

_And forever more _

_That's how you'll stay. _

_That's why, darling, it's incredible _

_That someone so unforgettable _

_Thinks that I am _

Unforgettable, too.

The interlude came, and Hatori began to felt very, very conscious, especially since a crowd is building up behind them, watching. But when Tohru moved closer to him and offered the mike with that heartbreaking smile, he felt his fear dissolve into the smooth piano music.

_Unforgettable _

_In every way, _

_And forever more _

That's how you'll stay.

They were just sharing the mike, cheek-to-cheek as they belted out the song.

Soon, Hatori felt himself relax. As if it was the most ordinary thing in the world for him to sing his heart out in a public videoke machine, with an eighteen-year-old girl.

_That's why, darling, it's incredible _

_That someone so unforgettable _

_Thinks that I am _

Unforgettable, too.

Applause filled that little corner of the mall.

 Tohru kissed him on the cheek and smiled.

He smiled back.

When God made happiness for someone like him, he must have had Honda Tohru on mind. Because right now, he was really, really happy.

**tsuzuku**


	5. 5

Hatori was busy going over his bills that morning when his phone rang suddenly. He picked it up absent-mindedly. "Hello?"

"So how is our karaoke champion feeling this wonderful morning, hmm?" asked the familiar teasing voice.

The doctor's forehead creased. "Wrong number." He slammed the phone down. Hard.

The phone rang again. He picked it up wearily. "Yes?"

"Doctor, you have to help me! My eardrums got shattered just seconds ago and I'm afraid that I may never hear again!" cried a fake high-pitched voice.

"Shigure, I'm busy. What do you want?" he asked curtly.

"Someone told me that our respectable doctor was sighted yesterday in a crowded mall, sitting by the karaoke booth with a minor, and singing his heart out."

Hatori exhaled sharply. "I'm not in the mood."

"Just tell me if you really were in the mall."

"I was. I shopped for groceries."

"Where? In the karaoke booth?"

Hatori slammed the phone down again. Harder this time.

He didn't know how Shigure was able to know his whereabouts, but this wasn't good. Knowing his cousin, the inu might be able to use that piece of information to destroy his clean reputation. Sohma Shigure was only capable of ruining everything else.

So even if his pride was aching, he still summoned the strength to call his cousin back.

After one ring, the cheerful voice of the writer answered. "I _knew_ you'll miss me!"

"Stop acting like Ayame!" he barked. "Now, promise me you won't tell anyone about what you saw in the mall."

"So it's true?"

"Yes, it's damn true!"

"Yuk yuk yuk. Doctor Hatori singing in public."

"Shut up, you stupid dog."

"Sure, I won't tell! What are cousins and friends for?"

"I don't like the way you sound."

"Hee hee, intelligent Tori. OK, tell you what. I'll think about it. But you have to meet me in the coffee shop this morning, ok? I'll meet you in an hour."

Before Hatori could protest, the phone was slammed down already. 

"Why are you in such a bad mood this early?" asked Tohru as she placed the plate of hotcakes on the breakfast table. 

"Some joker ruined my mood."

"Ah, ok…" said the onigiri as she sweatdropped

"I'm going out after breakfast. I'll meet him in the coffee shop."

"OK."

Hatori arrived in the coffee shop. His eyes scanned the early crowd, but there was no goofy-looking Shigure.

He decided to sit down and wait for his cousin. After all, it was he who was going to ask a favor.

Damn it.

Tohru was sweeping the front yard when she heard an admiring whistle. She looked up and saw Shigure smiling at her.

"A domesticated beauty," he said. "What a beholding sight to see in the morning."

"Shigure-san! Please come in!"

"No, I'm in a hurry," said the novelist. "Hatori wants you to do something for him."

"Eh?"

"Yup. I'm the joker whom he'll meet in the coffee shop," said the Sohma. "Anyway, he wants you to bring this plastic bag to his patient."

"Um, ok." She trustingly reached for the bag and the address where she must take the plastic.

"You have kept me waiting for ten whole minutes," said Hatori grumpily when Shigure rushed towards his seat.

"Sorry. I had to ask someone to do an errand for me," apologized the novelist. "Did you already order for me?"

"Why should I order for you?"

"Ouch."

Tohru looked at the address on the piece of paper then at the old house somewhere by the woods. 

__

This place looks abandoned. I wonder why Hatori-sensei sent me here.

She entered the house. "Hello? May I come in?"

Her call echoed all throughout the house.

"Is anyone in here?" she tried again as she climbed up the stairs uncertainly. She didn't know where her feet were leading her to, but she could feel that the place was really familiar.

She then found a room at the end of the hallway. She walked towards it cautiously.

"Now tell me," said Hatori when he finished buying his cousin a cup of coffee and some freshly-made doughnuts. "Where is Yuki?"

Shigure took his time in relishing the sugary bites of the choco doughnut.

"Shigure?"

The novelist wiped his mouth with the napkin daintily.

"SHIGURE?!?"

Heads turned to their direction.

Shigure managed an apologetic smile for everyone before turning to the irritated Hatori. "Do you have to tell it to the whole world?"

"Don't waste my time, Shigure. You know what I came for here."

"I promise I won't tell anyone about your videoke antics."

"Not that. About Yuki.

"Yuki does not go on videoke trips."

"SHIGURE!"

"Right, right."

"How did he survive the accident?" asked Hatori through gritted teeth. 

"I have a theory," began Shigure, turning serious.

Hatori looked at him expectantly.

"It wasn't really Yuki who died in the accident. It was someone dressed like him."

"You mean…?"

"The accident must explain why our beloved clan head wasn't found in Osaka where he should be." Shigure sipped his coffee. "The bodies were badly burnt in the accident. The only clue our family had when the body was brought in the morgue was Yuki's shoes, plus the form of his body and his hair was similar to Yuki. But then again…."

"It was Akito whom I saw in the bus with Tohru, is that it?"

Tohru pushed the door open and found a young man seated at the corner of the room, knees tucked in front of him. The sudden light into the room didn't even startle him, for he was blankly staring at the darkness.

But she recognized immediately who he was.

The boy with the purple eyes.

She shakily took a step towards him. "Yuki-kun…"

All of a sudden, her memories started to become clear again. Sohma Yuki, her friend. Sohma Yuki, her fiancé. 

She looked at her ringless fingers and collapsed weakly.

__

I'm not married. I never was. And Hatori-sensei was never my husband.

Yuki turned to her, then something flickered in his eyes. "D-Do I know you?"

She gasped, as tears started to well in her eyes.

He then moved, making his way slowly towards her.

All the while, Tohru gazed at him. She remembered everything now. Everything.

He knelt in front of her, gazing at her intently. "Who are you?"

Instead of replying, she hurried out of the room, out of the house, out into the woods.

__

"What are you going to do in the amusement park, Yuki-kun?" asked Tohru as she followed Yuki into the bus. She was surprised when he suddenly called her, promising her that as soon as they make it into the amusement park, he would never transform back into a mouse again.

"I'm going to meet someone there," said Yuki simply, avoiding eye contact. He passed by the driver's seat and slammed on its head rest. He accidentally spilled his untouched softdrink on the brakes of the bus.

"You seem a little strange today," she observed when for the first ten minutes of the ride, he wouldn't talk to her. Even look at her. 

"Oh? You think so?" His eyes started to look peculiar.

"Ah, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that," she said, laughing nervously. His eyes were starting to remind her of someone else's.

"Maybe you shouldn't have," he snarled.

Her heart stopped beating. "Akito-san…!"

"You will never be happy. I will ruin you and Yuki, even if it's the last thing I'll do," he vowed ominously just as the driver started to scream that they had lost the brakes. That someone spilled acid on the brakes, and that he couldn't stop the runaway bus anymore.

"We will die together, sweet Tohru-kun," said Akito. "I won't be miserable alone. You'll all be miserable with me. You and my Yuki, whose memories are erased."

"E-Erased?"

His face broke into a nasty smile. "I have to thank Hatori for that."

"H-Hatori?"

Tohru blinked when she found herself standing on the road where the bus hit the ten-wheeler truck. She could remember the details again vividly. The old man who jumped out of the bus. The screams of horror.

And the girl who buried her head on the boy's chest. It was her and Akito.

__

"Stop it!" she screamed as she fearfully buried her head on his shirt.

Then she felt something that made her freeze. She opened her eyes and found Akito's blood on her blouse. The blood was from his wounded forehead. He had lost consciousness already. He must be dead. She didn't know what to think anymore.

Just then, a great impact made her lurch forward, amidst the sound of shattered glasses and screams of pain. 

"So now, it's your turn to answer my question." Shigure looked at Hatori carefully. "How were you able to save Tohru-kun? How did you know that her life is in danger?"

Hatori sipped his coffee. "I overheard Akito's phone call to Tohru, asking her to meet Yuki in the amusement park. I just…finished erasing Yuki's memories then, and I thought he was just going to play a cruel trick on the girl by making her meet Yuki who do not remember her anymore."

"And how were you able to save her?"

Hatori couldn't speak.

"Hatori?"

"I followed Akito –who I then thought was Yuki, because Akito dressed like him – through my car. I wanted to be there in the amusement park when they meet, because I wanted to explain. About what I did to Yuki. That I could not defy the wishes of the clan head." Hatori's face turned grim. "I was going to give Tohru the antidote to Yuki's memory."

"But then the accident happen," said Shigure.

"I was only able to save Tohru. Yu…Akito's dead when I saved their bodies from the wreckage." He sipped his drink more. "I thought that Akito must have somehow orchestrated this, and I felt that Tohru was in danger, so I decided to keep her under my custody to protect her."

"But then things got out of hand?" the writer guessed.

"Tohru became amnesiac. Yuki is alive. It was Akito who died after all," said Hatori. "Everything was a big mistake on my part."

"Including one little detail that you forgot," said Shigure.

"Which little detail?" asked the doctor.

"That you fell in love with her."

****

tsuzuku

__


	6. 6

****

WARNING: A SEMI-LEMON SCENE HERE. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

KYTE, I KNOW YOU'RE LAUGHING RIGHT NOW. STOP IT.

I fell in love with her? How could that have happened? It can't be!

Hatori's mind was still in a turmoil after he and Shigure parted ways that morning in the coffee shop. He was still fighting with himself when he arrived home, expecting to see Tohru's welcoming face again.

But to his surprise, there was no Honda Tohru waiting for him in the living room. He tried looking for her in the kitchen, in the bedroom, in the dining room, in his clinic…but to no avail.

He instinctively reached for his car keys.

Tohru was walking back home, eyes on the pavement. She still couldn't comprehend how the web of events was revealed to her. She was still in the state of shock.

__

Hatori-sensei was never my husband. Never.

How could he do this to me? Lie so blatantly about something that he must have known all along.

Honks of cars snapped her out of her trance.

One head popped out from one of the car windows. "Are you insane? If you want to kill yourself, don't make me your killer, ok? I have a wife waiting for me!"

The words barely entered her mind with comprehension. Except for the word _wife_.

She collapsed in the middle of the road, crying all over again. 

A policeman made his way towards her. "Miss, you have to leave this place. You are causing traffic here."

She still couldn't summon the strength to reply. She was too tired…to exhausted…

"Officer, I can take care of this," bellowed the familiar authoritarian voice. 

The next thing she knew, she was being carried by a pair of strong arms, as if she was just a rag doll.

"You idiot! What were you doing in the middle of the road? Do you really want to make it to the front page of the news when a hundred-strong Tokyo traffic runs over you like a stampede?"

Her blurred vision recognized the familiar angry face of Sohma Hatori. She felt that she must hate him, but she was too tired even to hate…

"Look at you! You are so filthy!" Hatori yelled at the silent girl. "How did you get there anyway?"

She still remained silent.

"Take a bath and get dressed!" he ordered.

She didn't move.

Hatori knew that she was medically in a state of shock, but he couldn't help it. He was overwhelmed by too much relief and confusion and ten more emotions he couldn't point a finger on when he saw her safe.

"Get dressed," he ordered again, this time, his voice was softer.

Her eyes, blank and lifeless, were staring at him.

Sighing, he knelt in front of her. "Tohru, what the hell is the problem?"

When he still got no response, he got up and headed towards the kitchen. He decided to make a cup of tea to calm her down.

"W-Why?" 

Hatori paused and turned around. Tohru was standing by the kitchen door, looking at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. "You…lied to me."

His heart stopped beating.

She then lost her balance. She was about to fall down on the floor had not Hatori caught her, careful not to let her hands wrap around him.

"Tohru?"

"D-Don't touch me…you are a liar…" she said, her voice broken. "I…was never…we were never…married…"

Hatori cursed under his breath. "I'm so sorry…"

Awhile ago, while on his way home, he had contemplated on Shigure's parting words. That sooner or later, Tohru would find out about his lies. That he should prepare himself for her wrath. It was the price of keeping everything a secret.

The novelist told him that he had no right to decide for her what truths should she not know and what lies should she believe in.

"He was right," he realized aloud.

His hand ran on her hair. "Tohru, I'm sorry."

"I said, don't touch me…" she ordered, but it sounded more as if she was begging.

No, Tohru was not mad. It was much worse. She was confused. She was sad. She was hurt.

And that pain was torturing him even more. He silently wished that she should have slapped him instead. So he wouldn't feel this guilty. No, more than guilty…the pain on her face was ten times the one he was feeling.

"I hate you…" she whispered. "Let me go…"

He instinctively held her closer as he planted small, feathery kisses on her eyelids, her forehead, her nose, her cheeks. He then gazed at her tenderly. "No, I won't let you go. You hate me already. Surely, nothing can be worse than it." His kisses finally found her mouth, and they lingered there, worshipping the honey sweetness of her lips, probing, searching…

His lips slid down the slender smoothness of her neck as his hands started to find a life of its own. He began to unbutton her blouse.

Hatori's lips made its way back to her lips, then managed to whisper, "Tohru, tell me to stop. Just say it…before I lose my control…"

Tohru couldn't speak. She loved the sensation his lips were giving her. Did she really want to stop?

When he heard no objection, he kissed her again, more passionately this time, as he carried her again. They ended up in the living room sofa, lips still imprisoned by each other's. His kisses made their burning trail down her neck again, towards her breasts that were exposed already. His hands began to massage one of the twin peaks, while the other was being worshipped by his mouth.

He felt Tohru arch her body in pleasure. Unmeasurable joy flooded his heart. She wanted him too, just as badly as he wanted her.

His kisses covered every inch of her skin, leaving no stones unturned. He loved every curve of her body, he loved her contours that he found was so beautiful, he loved her velvety softness against his own rough hardness, and he loved her scent and touch. He loved everything about her.

So when he lowered himself into her, he was careful to do it gently as he could. He wanted her to feel the heaven he was feeling right there and then.

Pain crossed her face, so he quickly kissed her mouth with savage passion. She responded with equal fire that was enough to make him melt back into her arms. It was enough to melt every little speck of ice within him. Enough for him to cry out her name in happiness abandon. That he loved her and needed her.

Until the primitive rhythm made them dance – hand in hand. Dance until they both reached the peak, both panting, but both deliriously happy.

Tohru woke up when she felt feathery kisses on her bared shoulder. She turned to her left and found Hatori gazing at her tenderly.

"H-Hatori…"she murmured.

"You gave me the most wonderful dream in my entire life," he whispered huskily. "It was so beautiful…Tohru, you are so beautiful."

Her cheeks turned red. "H-Hatori…"

Silence.

She was the first one to look away. "But this is a mistake…"

His smile vanished.

"We're not husband and wife," she said finally. "This is…this is…"

She remembered Yuki, and guilt filled her heart.

"Rape," he finished, coldness returning to his face.

She flinched.

He sat up abruptly. "I'm sorry then. Now I'm sure my crimes to you and Yuki have increased."

"Hatori…" Her eyes began to well with tears again. She could feel her heart break with the obvious pain that he was feeling. But she had to make sure of one thing. She stood up and covered her body. "I'm leaving."

He lit a cigarette. "The door is over there."

She paused.

He looked at her sarcastically. "Go ahead. The door is not locked. No one's stopping you."

She tried her best to smile as she leaned over to his face and kissed him. "Thank you."

He watched her get dressed, as if it was in slow motion – a slow motion that was crushing his heart with every agonizing second. She then left the front door.

For a moment, he was just staring blankly off into space.

Until finally, like a dam that had broken loose, his frustration and fury made him throw his cigarette on the floor and crush it on the floor with enormous force, as if he was venting out all his emotions into the cigarette butt.

"Damn you, Tohru! Why did you have to come into my life and then disappear so quickly?" He buried his face on his hands. "Why now, when I know I love you?"

****

tsuzuku


	7. 7

__

Alright folks, the finale! But first, may I announce that for my 50th fanfic, I will be making a very special fan fiction. Yep, Juunishi Yuugi, the Fushigi-Furuba story. I'm currently making plans on how to do the story, so please be patient. ^^ 

On to the story!

***

Hatori wearily threw his numb body into his car as the bartender looked at him in half pity and half sympathy.

__

Women, the man said in his mind.

On the other hand the doctor was too tired and too confused to even drive home. It had just been hours since Tohru left his house, and he could still feel the pain of it. In fact, it was growing worse every passing minute. He was dreading the moment that he would go back home to an empty and dark house, with no familiar aroma of tea and sumptuous meals, and no wife to remove his necktie and massage his aching muscles.

He groaned as he put his seatbelt on and struggled to start the car. The engine roared to life, but he still didn't know where to go next. This was the last bar in town that he could go to that was still open, but it was now closing too.

"Where to now?" he asked himself.

He had no choice but to home. He would have to face the cold emptiness of his house sooner or later anyway.

He didn't know how he managed to return to his house, but there he was, opening the front door. He fumbled with his keys as he tried to ignore his aching temples, while at the same time, muttering curses.

Until the door finally let him in. He stumbled into the living room down into the cold marble floor. He didn't have the energy anymore to get up.

__

It's no use. I had grown so used to her presence that the welcoming arms of darkness, one that I had learned to live with before, is frightening.

Then he heard the familiar strains of a song playing in his radio, he felt worse. He knew that song.

**__**

Unforgettable 

That's what you are, 

Unforgettable 

Tho' near or far.

"Good lord, of all the songs in the world," he muttered, wondering how his radio was able to turn itself on. He got up and walked towards the appliance to turn it off, but a hand stopped him. One with a touch so familiar that he could feel goosebumps on his skin.

"Don't," said a familiar voice that owned that familiar touch. "That is our song, remember?"

He wanted to rub his eyes just to make sure if he wasn't dreaming. He wanted to pinch himself to check if everything was real. But he remained still, not breathing. If this was all an illusion, he didn't want to move an inch, because he was afraid that he would wake up from this trance.

That the woman he loved so dearly was standing in front of him.

"Hatori, I had been waiting for hours. Where were you?" asked Tohru, peering at him intently.

He couldn't voice out a reply.

She took a step towards him and sniffed his breath delicately. "You're drunk," she said matter-of-factly. "W-What's wrong?"

He looked at her with disbelief. He wanted to shake her shoulders roughly and curse her for asking such a stupid question, but he maintained his blank tone. "Where have _you_ been?"

"Me?" She looked surprised. "Why, I just passed by Shigure-san's house to talk with him and Yuki-kun. When I returned in the house, no one's home!"

"What did you do in Shigure's house?" he wanted to know.

"We talked."

"I know," he said, exhaling sharply. "About what?"

She giggled. "And I thought you can never make Sohma Hatori lose his temper! Boy, was I ever wrong!"

"It's not funny!" he snapped.

"OK, OK, if it really matters that much to you, I'll say it." She led him to the sofa. "OK, I asked him to explain to me what happened…how I ended up in your house and what happened to Yuki, who's my fiancé."

He looked at her, hurt. "Yes, and….?"

Her eyes saddened. "I told Shigure-san that I wanted to say goodbye…"

He sighed. "I see."

"…to Yuki-kun," she finished.

He blinked. 

"I asked him if it's the right thing to do," she continued. "Because he's my fiancé…and…and…"

"What did he say?"

"He said it was wrong," she said. "But he told me too that the heart can never be wrong, because heart is the essence of love, and love is always right. He told me that God made it that way. Because God is right and God is love…"

Hatori's forehead creased as he imagined his cousin sprouting out those words.

__

"God is right, and God is love! Amen! Hallelujah, everyone! Can you feel the love? Doki-doki, everyone say, Praise the God of Love!"

But I interpreted it like this," continued the onigiri. " One thing can not be entirely right or wrong, only partially right and wrong. And obeying my heart may be twenty five percent wrong but it can be seventy five percent right." She smiled at him. "I should take the risk. Am I making any sense?"

"No."

She laughed. "Perhaps, I was just looking for an excuse to love you with all my heart without the guilt."

He paused.

"But some hours ago, Yuki-kun came here. He told me that Shigure told him about everything…" She wiped a tear from her eyes. "And he said that he was sorry to not remember me, but he could feel that he loved me. Loved me enough to tell me that it's ok if I love someone else now, much more than how much I loved him."

"He did that?"

"Because he wants me to be happy. And that if you could make me happy, then he will entrust me to you."

Hatori was speechless.

"It was then that I realized Shigure-san was right." Fresh tears welled up her eyes. "The heart is never wrong. I feel no regret, no hurt, just happiness and gratitude for having people that love me so much."

He caressed her face with his trembling hand. "Yes, the heart can never be wrong." He buried his face on her hair. "Thank you for coming back."

She stood up slowly. "Come on, let's dance."

**__**

Unforgettable 

In every way, 

And forever more 

That's how you'll stay. 

That's why, darling, it's incredible 

That someone so unforgettable 

Thinks that I am 

Unforgettable, too.

They both stopped dancing. Hatori's heart felt heavy, but then he leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Go back to him."

Her eyes widened. "H-Hatori!"

He pulled her away from him gently. "Yes, the heart may never be wrong, but sometimes, our heart gets confused. This is what's happening now."

"B-But I want to be with you…"

"So do I. Badly," he admitted. "Everything that I said when I made love to you…it was all true. But can't you see? This is wrong. Yuki lied when he said it's ok. I witnessed how much he loved you ever since."

"B-But…"

"Let's not make another mistake," he begged as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I do love you, Tohru. Very, very much, in fact. And I can't let you do something that you might regret."

"No regrets, Hatori…"

"Trust me. I've been there." Hatori smoothed her hair. "I know you love me, and I thank you for that, because you made me feel the luckiest man in the world. But there are just some things that we can't change. That Yuki loves you…and that you still do love him too."

"Hatori, I thought you love me…"

"I do, and will always do." He kissed her for the last time, telling her the things that he could never find the courage to say out loud. 

Goodbye.

I love you.

I'll never forget you.

**__**

Unforgettable 

In every way, 

And forever more 

That's how you'll stay. 

That's why, darling, it's incredible 

That someone so unforgettable 

Thinks that I am 

Unforgettable, too

__

It had been some years after that night I set her free. The years that followed had been so lonely and cold, but I could still feel the will to smile.

Because I did the right thing.

I watched from my car as Yuki and Tohru, together with their kids happily cuddle in the picnic blanket. The pure joy in Tohru's face…it was worth it.

Of course, I still love her with all my heart. So I could feel that I was also happy as I watched her.

I put my shades on and rolled my car window up as I drove off, humming to myself the familiar notes of Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable".

Our song.

****

The end

__

And um, some notes on this fanfic.

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Hatori is OOC here, according to one reviewer. He's too aggressive. ^^ 

Yes, I admit he is. But like I said, it's my first try on Toriru. I'll get the hang of it eventually.

****

OK, so where's the lemon here? The scene on the last chapter was more of a lime!

I'm sorry to disappoint you guys. ^^;; I just couldn't make myself write a satisfactory full-blown lemon. My mistake.

****

The ending of this fic is mushily irritating, then suddenly angsty! Very un-Toriru!

__

Again, I'm a greenhorn author in Toriru fics. Yukiru fics are different from this coupling in a way that in Yukiru, you can get away with too much fluff and in Toriru, you can't. Simply because Hatori is not fluffy. ^^;;

About the angst and why I called this Toriru…um, let's just say that I want to deliver poetic justice to the story, no matter how cold and painful it is. This is still Toriru, because Tohru loved Hatori and vice-versa here too. It just didn't end with them together. Maybe I'll just make another Toriru with a happy ending in the future.

If you plan to flame me, I can not stop you. However, do put in mind that I really tried my very best on this fic. Would that be enough to change your mind? ^^;;

****


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